Known apparatus and methods for providing a batch material that involves the preparatory mixing and other processing of the material can impart to the batch material one or more of temperature gradients, shear gradients and compositional constituent gradients that adversely affect the properties of products manufactured from the batch material. For example, ceramic material that is conditioned, mixed and pumped in a twin screw extruder to provide an forming material suitable to be extruded through a die can possess properties that reflect temperature, shear and compositional constituent gradients imposed on the ceramic material during its conditioning, mixing and pumping. These properties can adversely affect the quality of the products, such as a honeycomb articles or other thin-walled articles produced from the ceramic materials for example. Polymers comprise other examples of batch materials with respect to which it can be desirable to avoid the imposition of temperature gradients, shear gradients and compositional constituent gradients during their processing.